15 complaints received, 5 officials suspended for MCC violations: Tripura CEO

The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Tripura has received 15 complaints of Model Code of Conduct violations from different political parties and has suspended five government officials since the MCC was enforced in the state from March 16.

The CEO along with West Parliamentary Returning Officer Vishal Kumar and others inaugurates an Alpana Anushthan as part of Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation.

Speaking with reporters in sidelines, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Tripura, Puneet Agarwal, stated that they have suspended five government officials for violating the model code of conduct.

"Whatever complaints we are receiving against any officials, we send these concerns to the respective Returning Officials and Assistant Returning Officials for conducting an inquiry. If we find that the person is guilty, then we take immediate action against them. Since the model code of conduct was enforced on March 16, we have suspended some government officials for their engagement with political parties. If we receive complaints that a person is violating the model code of conduct, then we take action against them. So far, 5 government employees have been suspended for violating the model code of conduct," he said.

He also mentioned that they verify the complaints filed by different political parties before taking any actions.

"There are several ways to file complaints, such as using C-vigil, National Grievance Service Portal, and by submitting physical copies as well. We have received around 15 complaints so far for MCC violations. We also provide answers to the Election Commission of India, and they also seek reports from use. Whenever we receive any reports of MCC violation from any person or from the media, we don’t wait for formal complaints; instead, we immediately inquire and take steps," he added.

Apart from this, the CEO mentioned that so far, 84 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have already been deployed in Tripura since April 1st. They have been deployed in different areas and are conducting flag marches, area dominations, mobile patrolling, etc.